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Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal's World Cup 2026 prospects seemed to be in serious jeopardy following an injury last week, yet head coach Hansi Flick has kept a positive outlook.
Yamal picked up a hamstring problem during Barcelona's narrow 1–0 victory over Celta Vigo on Wednesday, prompting the club to confirm he would miss the remainder of the 2025–26 campaign.
The timing of the setback couldn't be worse for the 18-year-old, with his eagerly awaited World Cup debut for tournament contender Spain just under two months away. Nevertheless, Flick is confident Yamal will recover in time to showcase his extraordinary talent this summer across North America.
"It's not easy, the situation, for us but also for him," Flick said of Yamal's injury. "We have to manage it, he also has to manage it, he has to learn about that. I think he's very focused now...It was his first muscle injury.
"What I can feel is that he's really focused. He has motivation, he's out for us [Barcelona], but I think for the World Cup he will be there, and he will be stronger, he'll come back stronger than now."
Why Flick Believes Yamal Must Learn From Injury Setback
Yamal went down and immediately called for a substitution shortly after converting a penalty against Celta; however, Flick disclosed that the hamstring trouble may have begun earlier in the match, when Yamal won the spot kick he ultimately chose to take himself.
"He felt something after the foul," Flick admitted. "I think it was not so much, and he decided to kick the penalty and after that, maybe [he felt] more. In the end, he felt it, and like I said before, he never had a muscle injury before.
"It's also part of learning about the signals the body gives you. It's not so easy because he's really young, but in the end, it's experience, and this is what he has to learn, to think about the signals the body gives you.
"But at the end, he scored a goal and we have three points. He's out, of course, and it's a pity, but...he also, at the beginning of the season, missed some games, and we did good."
Barcelona cruised past Getafe 2–0 in their first outing without the sidelined Yamal, extending their lead over Real Madrid to 11 points at the top of the La Liga table with only five matches remaining in the season.
Yamal Will Be Part of Spain 2026 World Cup Roster
Reports emerging from Spain suggest that Yamal is all but certain to be named in Luis de la Fuente's 26-man squad set to represent Spain at the 2026 World Cup.
According to SPORT, Spain's national team has been in contact with Yamal in the days following his injury, aiming to boost his spirits during the early stages of his recovery, with returning fit for the World Cup being the primary objective.
Barcelona have not provided a specific recovery timeline for Yamal, though reports indicate the teenager will need approximately six to seven weeks to regain full fitness. Spain's opening World Cup fixture against Cape Verde falls on June 15, exactly seven weeks and five days after Yamal sustained his injury.
The dynamic winger may arrive at the tournament slightly short of match sharpness, and his playing time could be managed carefully during the group stage, but his participation in this summer's World Cup looks virtually assured, based on the current situation.